A few years ago, any of the following scenarios were quite realistic:

1. An aspiring fighter pilot is unable to get a pilot slot, so he becomes a navigator. A year or two later, because he has “air experience,” he is able to get a “second chance” to get a pilot slot, and his time as a navigator makes him very competitive.
2. An aspiring fighter pilot is medically unqualified to be a pilot but still qualifies as a navigator. After a year or two as a navigator, he is able to get a medical waiver to obtain a pilot slot.

The opportunities for the above scenarios are increasingly rare. This is largely because there are fewer and fewer navigators, as many are being replaced by computers.  In fact, the term “navigator” has essentially gone away and has been replaced by “combat systems operator,” or CSO, in most cases.

This means that in some cases the Air Force may be unwilling to let a CSO leave–unless the need for pilots is greater than the need for CSO. It is still possible to cross-train to become a pilot, but you should not view the CSO-detour as a primary path. If for some reason you can’t get a pilot slot but you can become a navigator, you do still “have a chance.”